HB 0777 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to acute care hospitals; amending s.
3	408.043, F.S.; providing for certain acute care hospitals
4	in high growth counties to add additional beds, with the
5	approval of the Agency for Health Care Administration;
6	reenacting s. 395.0191, F.S.; incorporating an amendment
7	by cross reference; providing an effective date.
8
9	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 408.043,
12	Florida Statutes, to read:
13	408.043 Special provisions.--
14	(5) SOLE ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS IN HIGH GROWTH
15	COUNTIES.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an acute
16	care hospital licensed under chapter 395 may add up to 180
17	additional beds without agency review if such hospital is
18	located in a county that has experienced at least a 60-percent
19	growth rate since 1990, was under construction on January 1,
20	2002, is the sole acute care hospital in the county, and is the
21	only acute care hospital within a 10-mile radius of the
22	hospital.
23	Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
24	to section 408.043, Florida Statutes, in references thereto,
25	subsection (10) of section 395.0191, Florida Statutes, is
26	reenacted to read:
27	395.0191 Staff membership and clinical privileges.--
28	(10) Nothing herein shall be construed by the agency as
29	requiring an applicant for a certificate of need to establish
30	proof of discrimination in the granting of or denial of hospital
31	staff membership or clinical privileges as a precondition to
32	obtaining such certificate of need under the provisions of s.
33	408.043.
34	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.